Twin Coaches Orchestra Project to revive ‘Down in the Heart’
In 1936, Belle Vernon native and musician John George Kerestan wrote a love song for his wife, naming it “Down in My Heart.”
Now his son, also named John, 85, will carry on his father’s legacy with a performance of “Down in the Heart” and other songs with original members of the Twin Coaches Orchestra Project.
“A Night at the Coaches” is set for 6-8 p.m. Nov. 20 in the Belle Vernon Area High School auditorium.
At that show, five members of the original Twin Coaches band will play together for the first time since 1977. Original members of The Frankie Bar Orchestra members set to be on hand are John Fisher of Pittsburgh on drums, Rick Mansfield of Pittsburgh on sax, and Bob Rossi of Monongahela on bass.
John Kerestan of Belle Vernon will sit in on the first of two sets. He will play on the original drum set from the Twin Coaches Supper Club, a night club in Rostraver Township built in 1932 from a pair of railroad cars and quickly became a venue where well-known musicians would play.
Joe Campus of Monessen created a new arrangement of “Down in My Heart” especially for the Nov. 20 show.
“Night at the Coaches” will also feature Joe Campus 12-piece band, with featured vocalists including Charleroi Area junior Maddie Codeluppi, along with singers Alice Richards of Brownsville, and both Charleroi natives John and Tom Pattera.
Additionally, the Belle Vernon Area Middle School Band will open the night.
Tickets are $25 and include a silent auction.
Tickets are available at Vic Vitale State Farm in Charleroi, on the MVAA website www.monvalleyacademyforthearts.org, by emailing info@monvalletacademyforthearts.org., or by calling Smith at 724-309-0249.
It will be one of two events planned by the Twin Coaches Orchestra.
The band will also play 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Riverside Place in Charleroi. The Mon Valley Academy of the Arts will be sponsoring both events.
At the Charleroi senior center show, The Andy Gregg Band will be featured. The Mount Pleasant signer is a traditional country artist who also performs original songs.
This show is being coordinated by the Charleroi Senior Center.
“Our whole mission is to create opportunities and work for local artist,” said Mark Smith, the co-director of the Twin Coaches Orchestra who will play drums for the show. “We’re looking at it as an afternoon party.”